ReportSpringboksPlanet Rugby11 Aug

Springboks hold World Rugby summit ahead of All Blacks series after Buenos Aires win

South Africa hold top spot on 93.96 ranking points ahead of the All Blacks series after their 17-10 win over Argentina, while Australia's narrow victory over Japan in Les Kiss's first match as head coach pushed Wales back into the top 10 for the first time since July 2024.

The Springboks remain the top-ranked team in the world on 93.96 rating points following their 17-10 Rugby Championship win over Argentina in Buenos Aires, heading into the four-Test Greatest Rivalry Series against New Zealand with a 1.68-point buffer over the All Blacks (92.28).

Tries from Cameron Hanekom and Edwill van der Merwe proved the difference after the teams were locked at 10-all at half-time. The result earned South Africa no additional rating points, with the same applying to Argentina, who stay seventh on 83.13.

Australia climbed to eighth on 82.09 — a gain of 0.48 points — after Les Kiss's first match in charge ended in a 35-32 win over Japan in Osaka. The margin was enough to narrow the gap on Argentina but not to displace them. Japan dropped two places to 12th as a direct consequence, their fall lifting Wales back into the top 10 for the first time since July 2024. Wales sit 10th on 76.38, with Italy 11th on 76.30.

Sources

Planet Rugbyhttps://www.planetrugby.com/news/latest-world-rugby-rankings-after-argentina-v-springboks-and-australia-v-japan

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